SAN FRANCISCO--Thousands of immigrant-rights supporters here joined their nationwide counterparts Monday, taking to the streets to highlight the contributions made by people born outside this country.

Hoisting banners, beating drums and waving American flags, demonstrators filled Market Street, the main thoroughfare of the city's Financial District, in what was billed as a "Day without Immigrants."

"Todos son inmigrantes," read one sign, expressing in Spanish the notion that nearly all Americans are either immigrants or descendents of people who migrated to this country.

Nestor Puente, a plumber, said he is now a legal resident of the United States, but wanted to march in support of all immigrants--legal and illegal--who he said are working to make this country better.

"I've got to support my people," he said, as musical instruments and chants echoed in the background.

As is often the case in San Francisco, the rally spilled over into support for other left-leaning causes as well. Sign-carriers, for example, could be spotted stumping for progressive politicians and protesting the war in Iraq.

By the way, what exactly is the parallel between illegal aliens in the United States and Genocide in Darfur? Why should the two get the same attention? Are low wages somehow morally equivalent to mass murder in San Francisco?

The Media doesn't care, as long as people forget what this country was founded on.

If they can tie in illegal aliens "demanding" their Bill of Wrongs to some soldier getting killed in Iraq or Afgahnistan, they will, just to give a black eye to the People of the Nation.

But the Media that reports that way has no ratings. Websites, especially news websites, crush the Alphabet Soup evening news broadcasts. If a person is far to the Left, and believes in Marxism, are against America, they read cbsnews.com or cnn.com, if a person is far to the Right and believes in a Representative Republic, are for America, they read worldnetdaily.com or other like minded sites.

As a legal immigrant it sometimes irritates the heck out of me that people who didn't go through the same headaches, paperwork and so on think that for some reason they have a right instant citizenship - as if living and working here illegally should be something they're rewarded for doing.

A harsh line I'm sure, but the reality is that as a legal immigrant I have no one in my corner, in fact they want to make my lot far worse.

I was not, and will never, qualify for any form of welfare, and would face instant deportation for committing any crime including violations of immigration law. I would then not be allowed back in the country for at least 5 years, if at all.

I can not vote - in any election, local, state or national, and I am required to pay taxes.

I now hear that even left wing lawmakers want to make my life harder, punish me for not complying with new, restrictive proposals - that is I should be the one singled out for scrutiny and then deported if I don't face up to it, rather than those that broke the law every second they've been in this country.

They get citizenship, I have to carry a biometric id card and my personal information gets to be stored in a national database. It doesn't stop there, any prospective employer would be instantly predujiced against hiring me, because of the burden of proof he would have to present in order to avoid being fined for hiring illegals.

I even love the term undocumented worker. As if the only problem is they forgot to fill out a form or something, but are otherwise compliant with immigration law.

If I make a mistake on my immigration paperwork I face deportation. If I don't report my new address within 4 weeks of moving I face deportation.

They didn't have to wait for months for a visa interview, face an aids test, argue with an immigration official that the income documented on my wife's financial support paperwork is enough to support the both of us (she gets fined and is liable for any welfare given to me). They didn't have to keep filling out paperwork for years after arriving, paying more and more in fees and administration costs.

They didn't have to face a grilling interview, knowing that one "incorrect" answer could mean the whole thing comes crashing down on you.

These are not particularly horrendous hardships, but they do cause incredible stress and the process takes years to complete.

If I want citizenship, I then have to go through nearly the entire process again. Gathering up ridiculous amounts of "proof" that I came here for the right reasons, that I'm supporting myself, not receiving handouts from the government, and that I have committed any "immoral" crimes.

So okay I do sympathise a little with the plight of illegal immigrants, who've settled down, have homes and family and face the agony of seperation if they're caught. But at the same time it annoys the crap out of me that my situation could be worse, just to make theirs better.

Lets get real. They are illegal immigrants... ILLEGAL! That means they are here in violation of the law. I've read their claims that they are improving america. Try and tell that to the local governments in the border states and you will here another story. The school systems are in chaos, the county hospitals overloaded, crime is overwhelming all because of illegal immigrants. Let me repeat that one word... ILLEGAL!

thank you ajbright. i've been reading all these stories and watching the news waiting for a legal immigrant to stand up and say, "why should they get what i've been working so hard to get just for being here??" i agree and think that we should hold everyone to the standards we do now.

mexico deports more people per year than the USA...yet we have 20 million people living here illegally...send them back just like thier countries would send us back if we tried to do what's happening. if i want to become a mexican citizen, i have to go through the process. if i want to be french, i have to go through the process. our process should be respected by citizens of other countries just like they expect us to obey thiers.

Since most of these demonstrators are going to beillegal immigrants, the INS should be monitoringthem in order to pick up people for deportation.This would be more cost-effective than huntingdown the violators one or two at a time.

Nestor Puente, a plumber, said he is now a legal resident of the United States, but wanted to march in support of all immigrants--legal and illegal--who he said are working to make this country better.

"I've got to support my people," he said, as musical instruments and chants echoed in the background.

There you go America...even this guy...who is 'legal', wants to support 'his people'. I thought 'his people' was supposed to be legal American citizens who respect and abide by the law??!!

Deport each and every one of them and have them follow the laws you have in place America, not doing so is making you a weaker country.

This had zero impact on my day. The trains still ran, the guy peddling dead flowers in the middle of the street was still there, the people pushing falafel and ice cream carts were still scootin around...

I really would like to see all the ILLEGAL immigrants in this country show up for a rally somewhere. It would make things so much simpler.While I feel for people who want to make a living I don't break the law doing it. If I'm unemployed and knock off a gas station and get caught, get thrown into lockup with 40 other people who also knocked off a gas station I don't expect to get off just because "everyone is doing it". That is the mentality that is going on right now. We have X million illegal immigrants right now so it makes it all right. Then you have other little facts like X amount of money that is leaving this country going back to family abroad. A noble gesture to be sure but that is money that is not going back into this country. That is money that will be spent elsewhere to inflate their economy.I'm sorry but I'm a 3 generation natural citizen of this country. My parents, parents came to this country through LEGAL means. What does giving amnesty say to the people who have waited 10+ years to get into this country legally? So sorry mate. You just got fracked. Immigrants can make all the noise they want but I wonder how many who are in support of this are illegal immigrants themselves or have a friend or family member who are illegal immigrants. Its all self serving BS in the end.

The plan to grant (or at least facilitate) citizenship to persons that illegally immigrate to this country is a slap in the face to current citizens and legal immigrants (such as my wife).

If you aren't aware of the process it takes to legally immigrate -- let me tell you it's a byzantine and demeaning process that takes years, ream after ream of documentation, and dealing with a bureaucracy so numbingly slow and ineffectual that it would make the Soviet-era Kremlin envious.

I think that something should be done at both ends of the spectrum. Legal immigration needs to be worked into a rational and streamlined process. I'm certain that as it is now, the process completely fails every goal it's intended to fulfill. It splits up families, causes economic burdens, and keeps out people that could well be an asset to our country -- and I see no evidence that it specifically impedes those that would seek to undermine it.

I would support a program that was permissive of granting temporary low-cost visas for workers from Mexico for certain classes of work. Maybe even a program to formalize the process of matching the labor pool to jobs.

At one time, I taught ESL at a church in the southern US and we had a number of students from Mexico that worked in the US illegally. They were great guys, and while they loved the US, they had no desire to stay (and typically worked 6 months, then returned home, and came back again). They were well aware that they were here illegally, but at the same time needed to provide for their families at home -- despite being under-paid they still earned more in the US than they could at home (if they could find work there at all). They were very sensitive to the accusation that they might be taking jobs away from Americans -- and several quit jobs when they felt that it was true -- so they relegated themselves to doing low-pay work they didn't think anyone else wanted. One guy that was a cabinet maker was cleaning up offals, for example.

Short of citizenship, there ought to be some consideration given in this regard. Folks wanting to immigrate outright ought to be required to go through the formal process (which sorely needs to be fixed), and those wanting to work temporarily ought to be formally leveraged as a resource in whatever capacity we accommodate same to the mutual benefit of our country and the people involved.

It was nice to read from someone with firsthand experience of the immgiration process. I agree with everything you said. Part of the fault lies with the govt policies, although it still does not change the fact that people who immigrate illegally are breaking a law.

I agree with Zymurgist in every way . But I recall seeing a poster of Che' guverra in one crowed shot . As a former Marine and combat vet , I am more than willing to defend my country from within as well as out , and I am sure there are several million of us who feel that way , being here is a privelige , not a right !

I'm going to come out and say that I am against illegal immigrants in all ways. My parents LEGALLY immigrated to the US 30 years ago and had to go through the hassles. In some way, the illegal immigrants have to be punished.

The most important thing to do is to stop giving automatic citizenship to those born in this country. Make those kids illegal as well.

I realize they come here illegally for a better life, but they are stealing money from taxpayers. STEALING! If we have money earmarked for schools, but now we have to shift some over to welfare, guess who loses?

I see two frightening aspects to illegal immigration in the U.S.:1) It is almost totally out of control. Plus, we are being told that it _should_ be that way, that America is owned by anyone in the world who wants to come here, rather than by Americans.2) The demographics will insure that uncontrolled immigration will result in a U.S. that is at least half Latin American, in both language and culture, and half "other."

Yes, we have historically been a nation of immigrants, BUT with crucial differences.

First, the federal gov't controlled the influx so that immigration served our national interests. Diseased people and criminals were not let in, and workers with desired skills were given preference. Numerical quotas were enforced.

Second, no single culture or language group has been allowed to make up the bulk of the immigrants for very long. For instance, very early in U.S. history, Pennsylvania started to become "too German" so immigration from German areas was severely curtailed. This "whoa, too many" response was repeated for Irish, Polish, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, Haitians, SE Asians, etc.

Third, immigrants were expected to adjust themselves to their new country, not the other way around. For instance, public schools were taught in English only, and all government documents were in English only.

Lastly, the number of new immigrants has generally been kept to a small fraction of the existing population. Sometimes it would spike, but this would be followed by a dip (an enforced dip).

The result of this CONTROLLED immigration has been a SINGLE nation comprised of people from a WIDE VARIETY of backgrounds who nevertheless think of themselves primarily as AMERICANS.

We all are decendants of immagrants but most of us from legal immagrants. My grandparents came legally, worked hard for low wages, obeyed the law, and paid their taxes. The latest wave of immagrants and coming illegally which starts with breaking law.

Anyone willing to break one law and gets ahead is likely to break another. Furthermore this is passed on to the children of these people that it is ok to break the law if it gets you ahead. This creates a dangerous precident.

I think we should allow immagration to continue, but it must be at a controlled rate so that our infastructure (schools, roads, etc) can keep up, the immagrents are not totally fleeced by the unethical, and so that the effort of obeying the law from day one is rewarded.

First off let me go on the record as saying I whole heartedly condone those that have entered the country illegally.

Second your right to assembly is a constitutionally protected right that well considering you aren't citizens in no way shape or form gives you the right to protest. Which means that all of the illegals who where protesting yesterday should have been rounded up and taken into custody for disorderly conduct.

The last point I want to make is I honestly haven't met one person that favors giving illegal immigrants citizenship, BUT yet CNN and other news agencies state that 73% of all Americans believe that illegal immigrants should be given some form of citizenship.

OK now on to my two birds one stone rant. We keep hearing how the number of people enlisting in the military is down. WELL why not just get all of the illegal immigrants to join the military, AND THEN when they are done with their term they will be given automatic citizenship. They really then could become true patriots like our forefathers. The forefathers of the US had to fight for their rights then I don't see why the illegal immigrants shouldn't have to fight for their rights.

...look at our ability to teach the Iraqis to fight. That isn't really turning out so well and you want us to teach illegal mexicans to fight as US Soliders, way to go, we just lost the southern states.

The argument that someone is a criminal for breaking a law is a facetious one. It is a necessary but not sufficient condition that one break a law to be a criminal.

Not all laws are legal. Laws are struck down all the time. Further, the law has little permanence -- what's illegal today could be illegal tomorrow or vice-versa, yet the activity is no more or less criminal (in the absolute sense) than it was prior to or after the law came into being.

It's still illegal to eat peanuts in church in Massachusetts, but violators (you know who you are) are not criminals -- at least most people wouldn't consider them so. Drinking liquor, banned in some towns, not others, yet you're not apt to be labelled a criminal for having a glass of wine in Manhattan, are you?

In this particular case, the people in question are breaking the law quite specifically because they are "undocumented," meaning that they haven't filled out nor received the proper papers. It's not illegal for them (in general) to enter the country (at least temporarily) -- but it is to have a job without proper permission.

"Undocumented worker" is precisely descriptive of their particular infraction of the law. It is against the law, certainly. Whether it's truly criminal or not depends on your point of view and most probably on the situation.

For example, I had known a student at MIT that had found out while applying for financial aid that he was, in fact, not an American citizen. He had believed that he was born here, but apparently, his parents came to this country after he was born and started the formal immigration process. At the time, children were included on the same application as their parents. However, 20 years later, it turns out that the INS never completed processing his parent's application. He was too old to be considered a child anymore, so the INS removed him from his parents application and notified him that he had to leave the country immediately. He had lived in the US since he was 6 months old, never left, and at almost 21 years didn't know anyone in, or even the language of, his native country.

He was forced to leave. I don't know what happened to him. However, I know for certain two things: he was in violation of the law, and he wasn't a criminal.

It may be semantics, but too often these days people justify submitting to ruinous stupidity foisted on them in the form of legislation because "it's the law" without any question if the law is just or even just plain sensible.

I know several people who entered this country legally, learned the language, civics and fulfilled the 5 year residency before applying for citizenship. That is the law, the legal way to emigrate to this country. I support the McCain - Kennedy proposal along with hefty penaltys for those employing illegal aliens. The minimum wage would have been increased years ago without those willing to work for nothing.

I am ashamed to be an American today. I have never seen so much RACISM in one country. You hate everyone who comes here, even the slaves YOU brought. You butchered the NATIVES and now you believe you are ONE NATION UNDER GOD. Yeah right, I bet God hates what is going on.

Its not about race. Its about saturation and the law. In America when someone breaks the law there are penalties like jail, fines, etc. Should we reward people who break the law? Nope. It would set a the wrong tone for future generations of immigrants and citizens, who will be more inclined to breaking laws instead of changing them. If legal immigrants protested because they thought the process they go through is unfair, fustrating, and long (which it is) then I would support them. However for people to acknowledge the FACT they are breaking the law and ask that their acts be made legal, it does not make sense. What would be the point of the law if it can be broken without penalty? If give an inch to then what will be the mile.

My father is an imigrant to this country. He is now retired and still living here, but he did so LEGALLY and still carries his green card to this day... and no, he's not from Mexico as you most undoubtedly assumed. There are people from all over the world who imigrate legally to this country. It's not right he did what's legal but so many are not and getting away with it. This has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with a large group breaking the law and not enough being done to stop it.

If america is racist, what is your point? What does that have to do with the rule of law. What does murdering the Indians population by our forefather have to do with the rule of law? Every nations has its own sins. The fore-fathers of Mexico murdered their on indian populations. So, what is your point? Mexico is a racist nation as well! What are you trying to tell me! Their sins are less than ours. If America was still the 13 colonies, mexicans would still be trying to get into America. The problem is Mexico. Mexico is two hundred years older than the United States. America has put a man on the moon. We are the best country under the sun. What is Mexico's problem. How much more time do they need to get their act together. 500 years!

I am ashamed to be an American today. I have never seen so much RACISM in one country. You hate everyone who comes here, even the slaves YOU brought. You butchered the NATIVES and now you believe you are ONE NATION UNDER GOD. Yeah right, I bet God hates what is going on.

I am ashamed to have to read you post. Americans are not racist, every person in part is. People dislike change. And when another race is trying to change something in a country which rules have worked for centuries, but have been difficult for some to even attempt to follow well they are being ignorant of the rules, just as you are sterotyping every citizen. Get over yourself...

It has absolutely nothing to do with race. And for you to call it out as such is just plain irresponsible.

The American people are fed up not with the influx of Mexicans. They're fed up with the wanton ineptitude of the federal government to do anything worthwhile about it. Who in their right mind would deny someone who is here to work their right to earn a better living? There's a very good reason the people that have come here over the past few hundred years have stayed here - to the tune of 300 million, give or take - and that's because this is, flat out, the best country on the planet if you want to put yourself on track for a better life.

If anything, the illegals are good for this country. They're good because of the burden they put on our social systems, showing us just how idiotic it was to enact them in the first place. They're good because they show us that the politicians haven't got a clue what they're doing. They're good because they're here to work.

Be ashamed to be an American, but at least be ashamed for the right reasons. And carry that with you to the voting booth.

Let them decide any immigration issues, or should I say labor issues. Who's got the right to say who can and cannot walk from one stretch of land to another, or who may cross the what ocean to land on what rock. Only God can Judge and today AMERICANS are showing their true colors. It really saddents me. This country so full of hate. If someone has a contract or a job, let them come and do their work. Let them be, maybe they belong here more than you and I.

Its not a matter of hate, its a matter of legality. Let the immigrants come into the country no problem there so long as they did it legally. If they are just coming to work and go back home let them do so legally. No one is judge, just applying the law. They belong here so long as they got here through legal channels.

The borders should be like Ellis island. You stand in line and if you are in good health, hey what do you know, come on in. That is all it took back then, I bet you did not know or don't care. I agree with everyone who says, "oh gee my family came here legally, why don't they?" . yeah well it was a very different process then, but I'll vote for that to happen again. Would be nice, give the land back to the those who it truly belongs to, those who work it!! Remember the natives taught the pilgrims how to survive on this land, damn mistake on their part, turned their backs and were butchered.

I'll probably get nailed for being whatever (racist, selfish,etc,etc) but for most of us, this is simply about breaking the law. 90% of the illegal aliens in the U.S. simply want to better themselves. Absolutly nothing wrong with that. But the fact of the matter is that they are breaking the law. Period. If you do something wrong, then you must face the consequences of your actions. Personally, if I were a LEGAL immigrant, I would be pissed off that these people are DEMANDING not ASKING that they be allowed to stay here and not have to go through what I went through. As far as these rallies went, my question to my illegal brothers and sisters is: "How come you didn't have rallies like this in Mexico or wherever you came from?" "Demanding jobs and a chance to grow?" Because you know that you would have been stomped to the ground or worse. But yet you come here and enjoy the things that a lot of people have fought, bled and died for(including MANY LEGAL immigrants)and you can't seem to figure out what the fuss is. So stop with nonsense and get LEGAL as the law stands now. Also you could help your cause by learning to read and write ENGLISH(the defacto standard of the country that you broke the law to come into!)Ok I'm done. Now for my tech tie-in: If someone is caught, a RFID tag will be inserted {please feel to put your own joke in here about where the tag will be inserted!!!} and if you are caught again without the proper paperwork {and tag}you will spend time in one of our fine establishments that have bars and no windows. Just my two cents.

Well sending these illegal immigrants back to where they come from really does not do anything but drain the cost of the INS and other services to send these illegals back. I think they should arrest the employers that hire them. If no one will hire them because they don't want to be arrested then they will naturally go back to thier country. Problem Solved.

Round em all up and drop them off on Irans eastern border. Tell them they can either gather and protest for the right to exist in Iran or can fight their way to Iraq where they will be granted citizenship after serving in the military for one year.

I was watching tv news last night. A female was being interviewed, she was from some latin american country, but a legal immigrant. She stated how great this cou try was. How great it was that she could participate in a rally such as this. How great it was to have freedom of speech,etc,etc,. How great americam is. How great it is here. How much she loved it here. She just gushed love for the good old US of A. Yet her last comment was this, "In my country they would kill me". Obviously speaking of reprisals for open demonstrations.

But it was her statement, "her country". I thought the US was her country, but guess not. She should go back to "her country".

What the illegals really want is thier own autonomous country within the borders of the US.

The real truth is that the illegals are demonstrating themselves into a worse position than they are now. As it stands you can hire an illegal and pay they what is called a sub-standard wage. But wake up! These wages are CASH. So turn it into a real wage, someone makeing $6.00 cash is equal to someone making a real wage of $9-10/hr. Many non-immigrants struggle their entire lives at these wages, without any help. Yup, they are white, black, brown, and yellow, and all in poverty. So now that immigrants have legal jobs and shady employers and day hirers now must be careful because any bill passed to make them legal will surely have huge penalties for employers that will make it prohibitive not ot follow the employment regulations. So answer this: Will the employer want a real american or an immigrant. If I have to pay real wages and benefits to someone they are going to speak english, and an english I can easily understand. All the jobs they are here for will now go to lower income class americans and the leftovers will go to the "new legals". Who will in the end be much worse off than they are now.

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